North Korean leader Kim Jong Un orders war factories to increase production.

 

Kim Jong Un with a rifle. The Independent/KCNA.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has ordered war factories to increase production. The Independent. Kim toured his weapons factories, most notably small arms and artillery factories. He also complimented workers at a factory that produces mobile missile trucks saying that they provided a solid foundation to expand production. Kim also called for better quality and more production of artillery shells. The thee day tour came during high tensions on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea is showing closer ties to China and Russia. South Korea and the United States will launch a major military exercise in response. It is suspected that North Korea may be more concerned about exporting their weapons to Russia, which is currently involved in the Ukraine War. 

My Comment:

North Korea is one of the more annoying of Joe Biden's foreign policy blunders. Under Donald Trump North Korea had been mostly a solved issue and Trump had a decent relationship with Kim Jong Un. The chances of a war were smaller than they had ever been since the war in Korea ended. 

Biden, of course, pissed this relationship away, like he did with the Saudis, Russians and every other country that Trump had good relationships. In North Korea's case it's more of a case of neglect more than anything. I doubt that North Korea is on the radar of Joe Biden at all. 

Is North Korea preparing for war? It's possible. They, like everyone else, knows that a war between China and Taiwan could be possible and that could be a major opportunity for North Korea. If South Korea is a belligerent in that war it would give North Korea a chance to try and take back the country from the South Korean government, and have the backing of China (and perhaps Russia as well). Having the backing of one or both of those countries could be the only way that North Korea could ever win a war against the South. 

Such a conflict is of course years away, if it happens at all. It's very possible that Taiwan could vote in a pro-China government and make the whole thing moot. And even if it does happen, I don't expect it until the Ukraine conflict is resolved. China also needs a bit more time to build up forces, but less time then it needed a few years ago. 

Regardless, it makes sense for North Korea to prepare for such a conflict. They also have to be slightly concerned that the warmongers in the United States could target their country next after the Ukraine War is resolved. Or even before, we aren't dealing with rational people in Washington anymore and North Korea knows this. It makes sense that they are making weapons.

But the most obvious reason for North Korea to build up their weapons is to sell them to Russia. Russia has built up their own weapons factories but they are using their weapons as fast as they are building them. They are doing a lot better than NATO and Ukraine in producing weapons but even then Russia might want to shore up their stockpiles. 

This has some pretty obvious benefits for North Korea. Not only do they get better relations with Russia they also get much needed cash. North Korea has long had problems with feeding their people and are mostly cut off from the rest of the world due to sanctions. A major arms deal with Russia could massively help both the regime and the people of the country.